|
Scott,
Many questionable practices are or were advocated by one person or another, and it could be very confusing taking them at face value, since they are not all in accord. What one can do to sort things out is to consider the fundamental principles involved. Vegetable oils "dry" by a process that involves the absorption of oxygen, which takes place over a long period of time. It makes sense that to place a barrier of varnish between the paint layer and the air before this process is complete would surely interfere with the proper drying/curing of the paint. To what extent this would manifest itself adversely is an open question, but why risk harm to our own paintings?
Virgil Elliott
|